* ►November 7, 2006 - David Kirby: Autism and the GOP - Why Parents Are Fed Up - Huffington Post

* ►November 7, 2006 - A new drug for autism, and a new debate - Newsday - "According to Peter Bell, president and chief executive of Cure Autism Now, a national organization committed to accelerating the pace of autism research, the approval is 'an extremely positive sign.'  It signals, Bell said, that the pharmaceutical industry is looking at autism as a future market...Some doctors warn that the drug should be used only after other treatments are tried that don't involve medication. And the National Autism Association, an advocacy group for families of autistic children, has serious concerns about Risperdal. Wendy Fournier, the association's president, said medications such as Risperdal mask symptoms. She likened its use to prescribing pills for a headache without addressing the cause of the headache."

* ►November 7, 2006 - Vaccine for Girls Raises Thorny Issues - Parents Weigh Anti-Cancer Benefits Against Concerns About Cost and Lost Innocence (requires registration or subscription) - Washington Post

* ►November 7, 2006 - Brown launches £2.1bn bond issue to vaccinate 500 million children - If successful, drive against HIV and malaria planned - Britain commits £1.38bn to health programme - The Guardian, UK

* ►November 7, 2006 - Brown launches vaccination bonds - Chancellor Gordon Brown is launching a £2.1bn bond scheme aimed at saving ten million children in the developing world from deadly diseases. - BBC

* ►November 7, 2006 - Religious leaders unite to launch vaccine bond - Reuters AlertNet - "Brown will hand the first bond to Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Vatican's Justice and Peace Council, who will buy it in the Pope's name. The subsequent five bonds will be bought by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sachs, the Muslim Council of Britain, the Hindu Forum of Britain and the Network of Sikh Organisations."

* ►November 7, 2006 - Now, a six-in-one jab - The availability of combination vaccines for babies means there is less pain and stress to the parents and child, writes Manveet Kaur - New Straits Times - "Newest in the Malaysian market is Infanrix hexa, a combination vaccine that protects against six common childhood diseases, namely diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, poliomyelitis (polio) and Hib."

* ►November 7, 2006 - Lead's Toxic Toll: Trying to repair poisonings' damage - A landlord must clean up his properties, but the extent of harm to kids is unknown - Detroit Free Press

* ►November 7, 2006 - Boss hangs self after deadly drug scandal - China Daily - "The former general manager of a pharmaceutical company whose antibiotic injections were blamed for 11 deaths has committed suicide."

* ►November 7, 2006 - Polio drive a success, says WHO? - Tehelka via OneWorld South Asia

►November 7, 2006 - Meningococcal vaccine shortage is over for DODDS-Europe - Schools reviewing records to ensure all students get required shots - Stars & Stripes

►November 7, 2006 - The nation’s health makes progress - The Herald, UK

►November 7, 2006 - DHA refutes reports of inadequate attention to dengue virus - The News, Pakistan

►November 7, 2006 - Migration of swallows raises fears of avian flu - Bangkok Post

►November 7, 2006 - FDA booster for retractable syringe maker - The Australian

* ►November 6, 2006 - Pope to be 1st buyer of bond supporting immunizations for world’s poorest children - Catholic News Service via Catholic Online - "Jean Pierre Le Calvez, a spokesman for the alliance, told Catholic News Service that Pope Benedict's decision to buy the first bond had 'great symbolic value.' Even with just $1,000, he said, 'you can immunize 30 children.'"

* ►November 6, 2006 - Vaccines: keeping the lights on around the world - Public lecture examines the problems and the potential of vaccines in the battle against infectious diseases - McGill Daily - "Last Wednesday, internationally renowned scientist Dr. Brian Ward presented a talk at the Montreal General Hospital."

* ►November 6, 2006 - Oguaa mothers boycott polio immunisation - Ghana News Agency via The Statesman Online - "Mrs Gyawu explained that in the first two days of the exercise, the turn out was very high but when the mothers realised that the nets were not meant for all, they refused to send their children for the vaccination with the excuse that they would not benefit from anything."

* ►November 6, 2006 - Boston Celtics fund first teen vaccination delivery program in the country - Foundation teams up with researchers at the Miriam Hospital to explore delivery strategies to high-risk adolescents - Lifespan via www.eurekalert.org - "Through a $25,000 grant from The Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, researchers at The Miriam Hospital will collaborate with organizations distributing the HPV vaccine to adolescents at high-risk for contracting the disease. The goal of 'Team Vaccinates Teens' is for researchers to learn what structures are effective for engaging youth in an extended vaccination program, creating a model that will eventually allow for delivery of an HIV vaccine once one becomes available."

* ►November 6, 2006 - Clinical Trials Update: Nov. 6, 2006 - CenterWatch via HealthDay via Forbes - "Healthy child volunteers are needed for this study. Those who qualify will receive influenza vaccination, free of charge, over a period of seven months."

* ►November 6, 2006 - Skin Patches Instead of Shots? - Dreaded vaccinations one day could be as simple as sticking on a Band-Aid - ouchless and do-it-yourself. - AP via FOX News - "If it works against one disease, a patch likely could be tweaked to deliver numerous kinds of vaccines. Iomai also has Defense Department funding to help develop an anthrax vaccine patch."

* ►November 6, 2006 - Patients facing postcode lottery over winter flu jab supplies - Vulnerable patients face a postcode lottery over whether they will get a flu jab before the winter. - Glasgow Evening Times

►November 6, 2006 - Children targeted for vaccination to reduce impact of flu season - Hagerstown Morning Herald

►November 6, 2006 - 1,832 vaccines given at shoot-out - St. George Daily Spectrum

►November 6, 2006 - Influenza immunization clinics open throughout BC - Vancouver Sun via www.canada.com

►November 6, 2006 - County rolling out influenza shots today - Lincoln Courier

►November 6, 2006 - Foam can kill chickens in a bird flu outbreak - Canadian Press via CTV News - "But in Canada, a senior official with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said this form of killing is not considered humane and Canada will not adopt the practice."

►November 6, 2006 - Flu ad campaign launched - icScotland - "A new advert depicts someone infected with the flu sneezing, projecting 2,000 and 5,000 particles of virus-filled droplets at a speed of 100mph."

►November 6, 2006 - Flu shot clinic attracts thousands - www.kget.com

►November 6, 2006 - Voters can get vaccination at two NC precincts - AP via www.wvec.com

►November 6, 2006 - IT can boost disease-data exchanges - www.news.gov.hk

►November 6, 2006 - Flu vaccine blow - Blackpool's "walk-in" centre has been left without flu vaccine amid major supply problems with the lifesaving jab. - Blackpool Today

►November 6, 2006 - Researchers Simulate Potential Pandemic Flu - NIH via Medical News Today - "The work is part of an ongoing effort called the Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study (MIDAS) supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a component of the National Institutes of Health."

* ►November 6, 2006 - Human trails set for Antigen's bird flu vaccine - Worcester Business Journal - "Toronto-based Generex Biotechnology Corp., parent company of Worcester-based Antigen Express Inc., has entered into an agreement with the Lebanese-Canadian Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon to conduct human clinical trials of Antigen’s synthetic avian influenza vaccine."

* ►November 6, 2006 - Generex bird-flu vaccine ready for trials - United Press International

* ►November 6, 2006 - Researchers Question Flu Vaccine Safety - The National Vaccine Information Center via Ivanhoe - "'Vaccine studies are using increasingly complex statistical techniques rather than time-tested research designs,' reports National Vaccine Information Center Health Policy Analyst Vicky Debold, R.N., Ph.D. 'The JAMA study is exactly the type of study criticized by the Cochrane Collaboration. There were so many limitations and exclusions in the study design that it is nearly impossible to interpret or replicate the findings. The true effect of the influenza vaccine on health outcomes cannot be identified in this single, flawed study, which should not be used as evidence that influenza vaccine is safe for infants and toddlers or to justify national vaccine policies.'"

►November 6, 2006 - Chinese scientists reject claims of new bird flu strain - AFP/ra via Channel News Asia

►November 6, 2006 - Bird flu spreads among blood relatives - United Press International

►November 6, 2006 - Scientists collar bird flu's 'killer' gene - Opens path to vaccine - The Register

►November 6, 2006 - Flu shots arrive at health department - Charleston Daily Mail

►November 6, 2006 - Region unprepared for pandemic flu - Cincinnati Enquirer

►November 6, 2006 - WSU program brings flu shots to campus - Operation Immunization provides flu shots to hundreds of people and offers pharmacy students hands-on experience. - The Daily Evergreen

* ►November 6, 2006 - Delays affect flu shot season - But experts say there still is time because the virus doesn’t usually strike until January. (requires registration or subscription) - Kansas City Star - "When vaccine was shipped in early October, some doctors and clinics didn’t get any. That led doctors to grumble that manufacturers and distributors were favoring 'shooters,' a not-so-friendly term for the companies that organize mass vaccinations at supermarkets and drugstores."

►November 6, 2006 - KU hospital offers drive-through flu vaccine - Drive-through vaccinations serve as easy alternative for people who are too busy or can't afford a visit to the doctor's office. - The University of Kansas Hospital administered flu vaccinations Saturday at drive-up nurse stations. The stations provided the vaccines to the community at no cost. - University Daily Kansan

►November 6, 2006 - Shots can't cause flu, but they might not always be enough - McClatchy Newspapers via Fort Worth Star-Telegram

►November 6, 2006 - Drive-up flu shots offered at college - Los Angeles Daily News

►November 6, 2006 - Over 2,400 served at flu-shot clinics - News-Leader

►November 6, 2006 - Effort pairs voting, flu shots - Asheville Citizen-Times

►November 6, 2006 - KMC wakes up to polio scare - The Statesman

►November 6, 2006 - Whooping Cough Outbreak Worries Locals - www.kfoxtv.com

* ►November 6, 2006 - Meningitis - A Serious Threat For Hajj Pilgrims - Medical News Today - "A team of Senior British Doctors from Association of British Hujjaj (pilgrims) UK have issued a strong warning to British Hajj pilgrims that they must get 'quadrivalent' meningococcal vaccine (ACWY vac) to protect themselves and their families before leaving for Hajj this year."

►November 6, 2006 - IAC EXPRESS Issue #628 - Immunization Action Coalition

* ►November 6, 2006 - FDA orders delay of anthrax vaccine trial - CIDRAP News - "In March, the Washington Post reported that a human trial of VaxGen's vaccine revealed problems with its potency, and the company said the vaccine lost strength within a few months. At the time, VaxGen said rPA reacted with an aluminum hydroxide adjuvant (immune-boosting substance), but the company believed it had found a solution after experimenting with different formulations."

►November 6, 2006 - Anthrax Vaccine Contract in Peril (requires registration or subscription) - AP via Los Angeles Times

►November 6, 2006 - Gardasil® Added to CDC’s Vaccines for Children Contract - Cancer Consultants

►November 6, 2006 - Toddlers Learn Complex Actions From Picture-book Reading, Says New Research - American Psychological Association via ScienceDaily

►November 6, 2006 - Fraternity makes Run to Pitt for autism awareness - The Daily Athenaeum Interactive

►November 6, 2006 - Parents fill health care gap - Special needs children - Salt Lake Tribune

►November 6, 2006 - Mom to the rescue - Anita Hawkshaw gives parents of autistic kids a break - Flint Journal

►November 6, 2006 - Theater review: 'Vestibular Sense' - Theater review: It's lightweight, but "Vestibular Sense" does provide a glimpse into the life of a young man who has autism. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

* ►November 6, 2006 - Aussie company in cancer vaccine race - The Age, Australia - "The privately-owned company Replikun Biotech Pty Ltd has used the kunjin virus, found in mosquitoes from the wet tropics region of north Queensland, to make an injectable vaccine after processing with gene technology."

* ►November 6, 2006 - When a child's life depends on a new Babygro - It is not as high-profile as TB, Aids or malaria but tetanus kills 250,000 a year in developing countries - many of them new mothers and babies. Victoria Lambert reports on a Unicef initiative and explains how British mothers can help - The Telegraph, UK

►November 6, 2006 - Bangladesh vaccinations aim to eliminate tetanus - AFP via TODAYonline

►November 6, 2006 - Pneumonia vaccine approved by Dohms - Khaleej Times

►November 6, 2006 - U.S. gives U of M researchers $25 million - z Funds to expand HIV/AIDS program in India z Cash gives experts a sense of hope - Winnipeg Free Press

►November 6, 2006 - Global Fund approves $67m for HIV, TB in Rwanda - Global Fund International has approved $67m (Frw361.8bn) project proposals for Rwanda to control HIV/Aids and Tuberculosis (TB). According to sources, the approval follows the submission of three project proposals worth $76m (approxFrw410.4b) early this year. - African News Dimension

►November 6, 2006 - Kenya gets $70 mln HIV grant from Global Fund - Reuters AlertNet

►November 6, 2006 - Global Fund cuts Uganda's HIV/AIDS funding - New Vision, Uganda

►November 6, 2006 - Chembio gets large Mexican order for rapid HIV tests - Newsday

►November 6, 2006 - HIV gene therapy 'shows promise' - Preliminary tests suggest HIV infection can be treated using a disabled version of the virus itself. - BBC

►November 6, 2006 - Training modules to help allay fears on HIV - Officials of the Maharashtra Institute of mental Health (MIMH) to train counsellors to help deal with patients - Pune Newsline via http://cities.expressindia.com

►November 6, 2006 - Mlambo-Ngcuka denies HIV and Aids 'coup' - Independent Online

►November 6, 2006 - Govt. fights to reduce HIV infection - Malawi's Daily Times

►November 6, 2006 - HIV/AIDS: ‘RSG spends N100m annually on anti-retroviral drugs’ - The Tide

►November 6, 2006 - ICAAC 2006 - The Anti-HIV Drug Pipeline (requires registration) - Medscape

►November 6, 2006 - South Africa's New HIV/AIDS Strategy To Be Announced in December; Might Expand Treatment, Address Health Worker Shortage, Official Says - www.kaisernetwork.org

►November 6, 2006 - HIV trial in Libya is criticised - As five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor await a verdict in Tripoli on charges that they spread HIV to 426 Libyan children, hundreds of prominent scientists are rallying in their defense, calling for a new and fairer trial. - African News Dimension

►November 6, 2006 - Antiretroviral Drug Resistance in Patients With HIV (requires registration) - Medscape

►November 6, 2006 - Higher Fixed Doses of Peginterferon alfa-2a + Ribavirin Decreases Relapse Risk in Difficult-to-Treat Patients: Presented at AASLD - Doctor's Guide

►November 6, 2006 - Celgosivir Combination Therapy Demonstrates Positive Clinical Benefit in Chronic Hepatitis C Non-Responder Patients - press release - MIGENIX Inc. via PRNewswire-FirstCall via Yahoo!

►November 6, 2006 - Circumcision appears to reduce STD risk - Reuters

►November 6, 2006 - We're not safe - letter - Cherry Hill Courier Post

►November 6, 2006 - Xoma wraps up work on $15M biodefense contract - San Francisco Business Times

►November 6, 2006 - Op-Ed: Proposition 85 should not pass - opinion - Stanford Daily

►November 6, 2006 - Student abuse of prescription drugs on rise - Red and Black

►November 6, 2006 - Day Care: Too Many Kids Being Kept Home - http://cbs4.com

►November 6, 2006 - FDA warns Bausch after solutions plant inspection - Reuters

►November 6, 2006 - Finding relief from allergies - Allergen immunotherapy helps a patient's body learn not to react to what is causing allergies - Springfield News-Leader

* ►November 6, 2006 - Keeping children’s immunity level high - Hindustan Times - "Health Department is all set to observe 'Bal Poshan Mah' from December 1, to protect pre-school children from partial or total blindness, measles and other infections caused due to Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD)."

►November 6, 2006 - Judy Helgen: Minnesota battled over early efforts to ban DDT - At the state and federal levels, agricultural interests often trumped environmental ones. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

►November 6, 2006 - A marvel named turmeric - Zee News - "The herb is also beneficial in treating measles. Fine powdered turmeric leaves mixed with drops of honey and juice of bitter gourd leaves can be given to measles patients."

►November 6, 2006 - Skin Patches Instead of Shots? - AP via Herald-Sun

►November 6, 2006 - Study shows most ear infections host both bacteria and viruses - Infectious Diseases Society of America via www.eurekalert.org

►November 6, 2006 - Researchers identify molecule that causes destructive lung inflammation in cystic fibrosis patients - Discovery offers scientists a target for developing new treatments that could improve quality of life - Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh via www.eurekalert.org

►November 6, 2006 - MRSA toxin acquitted: Study clears suspected key to severe bacterial illness - NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases via www.eurekalert.org

►November 6, 2006 - Yerkes researchers pave the way for earlier diagnosis and treatment of retinal degenerative diseases - First to successfully use MRI in animal models to capture images of eye's elusive retinal layers - Emory University Health Sciences Center via www.eurekalert.org

►November 6, 2006 - New brain-chemistry differences found in depressed women - U-M Depression Center study shows alterations in key brain-chemical system involved in responding to stress and regulating emotions - University of Michigan Health System via www.eurekalert.org

►November 6, 2006 - New Treatment Strategy for the Prevention of Recurrent Depression - Virginia Commonwealth University

►November 6, 2006 - Deakin University discovery could lead to new leukaemia treatments - Research Australia via www.eurekalert.org

►November 5, 2006 - More than 6 months of hormone therapy doesn't help prostate cancer patients live longer - American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology via www.eurekalert.org

►November 5, 2006 - Men with prostate cancer avoid radiation due to misconceptions - American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology via www.eurekalert.org

►November 5, 2006 - Booster shots silence whooping cough threat - Sedalia Democrat

►November 5, 2006 - Simple steps help reduce zoonosis risk - Inside Bay Area

* ►November 5, 2006 - Doctors: let us kill disabled babies - The Sunday Times, UK - "The college’s [Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecology] submission to the inquiry states: 'We would like the working party to think more radically about non-resuscitation, withdrawal of treatment decisions, the best interests test and active euthanasia as they are ways of widening the management options available to the sickest of newborns.'...'However, John Wyatt, consultant neonatologist at University College London hospital, said: 'Intentional killing is not part of medical care.' He added: 'The majority of doctors and health professionals believe that once you introduce the possibility of intentional killing into medical practice you change the fundamental nature of medicine. It immediately becomes a subjective decision as to whose life is worthwhile.'"

NVIC - Barbara Loe Fisher Commentary: The tragic consequence of allowing one small group of individuals in society - those who choose to become medical doctors (M.D.'s) or scientists (Ph.D.'s) - to make life and death decisions for others is that they can become drunk with power and end up exploiting people. Those elitists who would force people to take medical risks or even kill people in the name of the greater good of society cannot and should not be trusted.

Blind faith and trust in those who practice any profession is dangerous, but it is especially dangerous if it requires abandoning individual autonomy and the human right to informed consent. If the birthing rooms and newborn nurseries of the world become killing fields and those who practice science and medicine become the executioners, then it will be a very short time before nursing homes, doctor's offices and public health clinics are legally allowed to stock lethal injections.

History that is not remembered will be repeated. We would do well to remember what happened in pre-World War II Germany, when doctors were legally allowed to kill anyone in society considered to be a threat to the public health and welfare. Are we preparing for the day when doctors can not only kill handicapped newborns but also handicapped older children and adults, including the vaccine injured who face a lifetime of long term care? Anyone the medical elite consider to be an economic liability for society and, therefore, expendable could be a target for elimination in what could become the ultimate free exercise of the utilitarian rationale discredited at the Doctor's Trial at Nuremberg in 1947 as inherently evil.

I remember when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its famous 1973 legal decision in Roe v Wade, siding with the medical doctors and scientists, who argued that life did not begin at conception but only at birth and, therefore, termination of not only handicapped babies but also healthy babies in the womb was not murder. Like many young women, I ignored the warnings of spiritual leaders who argued that legalized abortion was devaluation of individual life and would lead to future legalized murder after birth when an individual's life became inconvenient or expensive.

I caught my breath when I read the following from a British bioethicist commenting how the morality of giving doctors a legal license to kill: "The college’s submission was also welcomed by John Harris, a member of the government’s Human Genetics Commission and professor of bioethics at Manchester University. “We can terminate for serious foetal abnormality up to term but cannot kill a newborn. What do people think has happened in the passage down the birth canal to make it okay to kill the foetus at one end of the birth canal but not at the other?” he said.

Anyone who has had to make the difficult decision of whether to cease employing extraordinary measures to prolong a terminally ill loved one's life knows well the difference between a "do not resuscitate" order and a lethal injection. Perhaps we should have listened a little more carefully to the spiritual leaders who warned that giving the medical profession the power to deliberately kill before birth would tempt them to seek the power to deliberately kill after birth. In any case, it is time to put the breaks on giving more power to those in society who are supposed to be healers, not executioners.

►November 4, 2006 - Blair's backing for careers in research wins mixed response - Guardian, UK

►November 4, 2006 - Anthrax Vaccine Testing Called Off - VaxGen Contract In Doubt as FDA Raises Concerns (requires registration) - Washington Post

►November 4, 2006 - Anthrax vaccine contract in peril - AP via Fort Worth Star Telegram

►November 3. 2006 - FDA Notifies Consumers that Tomatoes in Restaurants Linked to Salmonella Typhimurium Outbreak - Current Information Suggests Outbreak is Not Ongoing - FDA

►November 3, 2006 - Newly Discovered Proteins Associated With Cystic Fibrosis - Bioresearch Online
 
►November 3, 2006 - Polio Case Sparks Immunisation Campaign - UN Integrated Regional Information Networks via http://allafrica.com

* ►November 3, 2006 - Healthcare Code Blue - Not only do Americans spend more than anyone else on health care, much of what we buy isn't the best stuff. - opinion (requires registration or subscription) - Los Angeles Times

* ►October 23, 2006 - New vaccines go forward in reverse - In ‘backward’ strategy, scientists study genomes of microbes, then design new ways to stop them - American Association for the Advancement of Science via MSNBC

* ►September 29, 2006 - ASA Receives Grant to Address Environmental Health and Autism - Project to Raise Awareness on Neurotoxins - Autism Society of America - "The Autism Society of America is the proud recipient of a $100,000 grant from the John Merck Fund to raise awareness about the broad range of environmental contributors to autism spectrum disorders (ASD)."

* ►November 6, 2006 - Kids' immunity against hepatitis B may fade - Researcher recommends a booster vaccine so that children have protection when they need it most - Macleans - "Hammitt and her colleagues evaluated 37 Alaskan adolescents who had received a three-dose series of hepatitis B vaccine as infants. At the time of the study, when the children were 14 years old on average, blood tests showed only two of them still had a sufficient concentration of antibodies against hepatitis B."

* ►November 6, 2006 - Bond to fund vaccine projects to launch imminently - Reuters AlertNet - "Proceeds from the bond sale will go to a new development agency, the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm), which will be administered by the World Bank. This week's offering is only the first leg of the initiative, which aims to raise $4 billion in the bond markets over the next 10 years."

►November 6, 2006 - California waves ban on mercury flu shots to face shortage - California's Health and Human Services (HHS) has decided to temporarily suspend a ban on mercury-based flu vaccines given to children under three, citing a vaccine shortage caused by production delays. - www.in-pharmatechnologist.com

* ►November 6, 2006 - Doctors: Mercury flu shot ban backfiring - Inside Bay Area

* ►November 6, 2006 - A Drug Company Joins the March of Penguin Tie-Ins (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times - "A new animated movie about a tap-dancing penguin is venturing beyond the Antarctic into uncharted territory — a promotional tie-in to pharmaceuticals. Characters from 'Happy Feet' appear in an extensive advertising campaign, including network and cable commercials, full-page magazine ads and online banner ads, for Roche, promoting its Web site www.flufacts.com."

* ►November 6, 2006 - To protect us all, vaccinate school kids (requires registration or subscription) - Los Angeles Times - "Ira Longini, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Washington in Seattle, says that vaccinating most of the children in grades one through 12 is key to stopping the spread of flu and could have more of an effect on death and hospitalization rates than targeting the at-risk groups."

* ►November 6, 2006 - Hospital Costs for Children with Flu May Be Higher Than Thought - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia via Newswise - "Going into another flu season, a new study reports that hospitalizing children for influenza may cost up to three or four times the previously accepted estimates. Pediatric researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia say their finding strengthens the economic justification for broadly vaccinating children against flu."

►November 6, 2006 - Experts refute new bird flu strain claim - China Daily

►November 6, 2006 - Clinic offers cervical cancer vaccine to girls for £390 - Western Mail via ic Wales

* ►November 6, 2006 - US Tennis Star Assists Ghana Vaccination Campaign - U.S. tennis star Serena Williams is visiting Ghana, where she joined volunteers and health workers giving children vaccines against measles and other diseases. Efam Dovi filed this VOA report from the Ghanaian capital, Accra. - Voice of America

►November 6, 2006 - Threat of diseases from Somalia looms large - The Standard, Kenya

►November 6, 2006 - Second opinion is sought on polio virus - The Standard, Kenya

* ►November 5, 2006 - Menz B doco concerns health officials (includes video link to documentary) - One News via http://tvnz.co.nz - "Health officials are warning parents not to be put off vaccinating children against meningitis after a documentary about the killer bug airs on the Sunday programme."

* ►November 5, 2006 - Where do we go on polio? - The World Health Organization wants to wipe out the disease, but there is a rising voice for 'control' rather than eradication. - opinion (requires registration or subscription) - Los Angeles Times - "The oral vaccine presents other difficulties. In poor, crowded areas such as Uttar Pradesh in northern India, diarrheal infections and malnutrition require that children receive more doses, up to 10 or 12. Yet even after so many doses, some children never develop immunity and still may come down with crippling polio. This doesn't do much for parents' confidence in immunization."

►November 5, 2006 - Sudan's Polio Immunization Campaign at Risk - The ministries of health in both northern and southern Sudan, backed by the U.N. children's fund, the World Health Organization and other partners, are starting a polio immunization campaign in the African country.  The groups aim to vaccinate nearly eight million children under five across the country in the next three days, but the big question is whether the warring factions in Darfur will allow the campaign to take place. - Voice of America

►November 5, 2006 - Rotavirus ‘kills one child every minute’ - Gulf Times - "'Qatar’s committee on immunisation practice has been debating about the introduction of the Rotavirus vaccine into the Expanded Programme on Immunisation in Qatar,' said the committee chair Dr Mohamed Janahi, who is the head of Hamad Medical Corporation’s Paediatric Department."

►November 5, 2006 - Ex-school converted to help autistic children - Canton Repository

►November 5, 2006 - Walking for autism cure - Villages Daily Sun

►November 5, 2006 - Six-year-old TV addicts prefer blank screen to a human face - This is London

►November 5, 2006 - Monroe County voters given chance to vote and vaccinate - Quincy Herald Whig

* ►November 5, 2006 - CDC learns from Katrina, plans for pandemic - Lessons from storm benefit preparation for deadly global virus - United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) via ReliefWeb

* ►November 5, 2006 - Vaccination program a hit; 25,000 children immunized in Md. - Daily Banner via Newszap Maryland - "The program is made possible through a collaborative effort among DHMH, the Maryland State Department of Education, local health departments and school systems, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and MedImmune, Inc., a biotechnology company based in Gaithersburg. The community-based Maryland Partnership for Prevention and the Maryland chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics are also participating."

* ►November 5, 2006 - Flu :: Year-round flu shots contribute to higher vaccination rates - www.spiritindia.com - "It's flu season, but it may not be the best time to schedule your child's flu shot, according to one Penn State physician and researcher. Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center pediatrician Ian M. Paul recently studied vaccination records of two high-risk pediatric groups -- infants less than age 2 years and children with asthma -- and found that year-round scheduling of flu shot appointments contributes significantly to better vaccination rates. The study findings were recently released in the journal Ambulatory Pediatrics."

* ►November 5, 2006 - Flu vaccine trickles into doctors' offices - USA Today

* ►November 5, 2006 - Patients don't wait to vaccinate - Visiting Nurse Association sponsors drive-through clinic - Monterey County Herald

* ►November 5, 2006 - SC officials prepare for next flu pandemic - Myrtle Beach clinic draws 1,250 residents to former Air Force base for shots - Myrtle Beach Sun News

►November 5, 2006 - Possible pandemic flu should prompt crisis preparation - Herald Times Reporter

►November 5, 2006 - Late flu vaccine delays clinics - The Republican

►November 5, 2006 - Heatlh Department Practices for Pandemic Flu - http://wjbdradio.com

►November 5, 2006 - Chicago To Open Three New Flu Shot Clinics Nov. 18 - www.wbbm780.com

►November 5, 2006 - Efforts To Track Bird Flu Hampered By Deficiencies In Data Collection - American Institute of Biological Sciences via Medical News Today

* ►November 5, 2006 - HIV vaccine trials - a journey to preventing infections - Jamaica Gleaner

►November 5, 2006 - Whooping cough outbreak hits New Trier High School - Parents warned of 13 cases at Winnetka campus - Chicago Sun-Times

►November 5, 2006 - BFAD approves first cervical cancer vaccine - The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) has approved the Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (Types 6, 11, 16, 18) Recombinant Vaccine – the first and only vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, vulvar and vaginal cancer, and vulvar and vaginal pre-cancers caused by HPV types 16 and 18; and to prevent low-grade and pre-cancerous lesions and genital warts caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18. - Manila Bulletin

►November 5, 2006 - T-YOU: Let soldiers decide on anthrax - Question of Sunday, Oct. 22: The Defense Department said it would resume mandatory anthrax immunizations for military personnel in war zones, reviving a program that had been challenged in lawsuits and halted by a federal court. Should troops be required to take these and other vaccines? - Florida Times-Union

►November 5, 2006 - Anthrax strikes Prakasam - Andhra Cafe

►November 5, 2006 - West Nile kills four in 46 cases - Typical year for virus, Ohio officials say. Idaho has most human cases - Akron Beacon Journal

* ►November 5, 2006 - Solving the SIDS Mystery - New clues reveal that sudden infant death syndrome may be a disease-not a tragic mistake - U.S. News & World Report - "Indeed, no one knows what prompts seemingly healthy babies to suddenly die in their sleep. Most SIDS deaths occur between 2 and 4 months of age."

►November 5, 2006 - 22 kids die in 3 days at BC Roy - Times of India

►November 5, 2006 - Catholic group supports stem cell research (requires registration or subscription) - Kansas City Star

►November 5, 2006 - Splenda, Nutrasweet, Fda – Secrets Revealed - MedIndia

►November 5, 2006 - Bihar family to spend Rs.43,000 on rabies vaccines - www.indiaenews.com

►November 5, 2006 - Compensation demanded for Bengal's blood scam victims - Telugu Portal

►November 5, 2006 - Federal ban to fight virus irks anglers - Journal Gazette via www.fortwayne.com

►November 5, 2006 - Vaccine for dogs debuts - East Bay hikers may save best friends by taking bite out of rattlesnake run-ins (requires registration or subscription) - Contra Costa Times via Mercury News

* ►November 4, 2006 - Polio drops linked to infertility, Godhra Muslims burn copies of Urdu monthly - Express News Service via Ahmedabad Newsline via http://cities.expressindia.com - "In his article, Hindi says, ‘While the Ulemas of Nigeria have issued a fatwa against polio drops, president of Nigeria’s Supreme Council of Sharia Laws Ibrahim Datti, himself a well-known physician, has accused the United States of mixing certain elements into the polio vaccines that causes infertility.’ Arguing against the effectiveness of the vaccine, Hindi, quoting Hindi newspapers like Dainik Jagran, says that many children have been hit by polio even after being given the vaccines."

►November 4, 2006 - Autism gets a new frame in family film - New York Daily News - "'Today's Man' premiered at the Nantucket Film Festival, where celebrity-loving Nicky relished the applause and his moment in the spotlight."

►November 4, 2006 - Plan proposed to combat EEE virus next year - Brockton Enterprise

►November 4, 2006 - Mass public flu vaccination planned - Gallup Independent

►November 4, 2006 - Free flu shots offered - Baxter Bulletin

►November 3, 2006 - New vaccine is effective against rotavirus - The vaccine prevented about 74 percent of all rotavirus cases and about 98 percent of the most severe cases, including the ones that required hospitalization - Princeton Packet

►November 3, 2006 - Mayor Joe: State slow in giving us flu vaccine - Somerville Journal

►November 3, 2006 - Flu vaccine back in circulation; clinic schedules listed through December 6 - Muskegon Chronicle

►November 3, 2006 - No more flu shots - Haywood Health Department temporarily out of adult vaccines - Haywood County News

* ►November 3, 2006 - WHO issues startling bird flu report (includes video) - www.kare11.com

* ►VaxTeen Hepatitis B Vaccine Booster Study - This study is currently recruiting patients. - Verified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention September 2005 - www.clinicaltrials.gov

* ►November 5, 2006 - Thousands got parts stolen from cadavers -  Transplanted tissues weren't screened - Chicago Sun-Times

* ►November 5, 2006 - Lord Drayson: Britain's top gun - How the Government's quartermaster-in-chief is banging heads together - The Independent, UK - "The minister for Defence Procurement, in charge of spending billions of pounds each year on updating the tools of war for the British armed forces, gave up his sensible company car when he sold Powderject, his biotech group, for £542m three years ago."

* ►November 5, 2006 - West Nile ruling shields public officials from lawsuits - The Chronicle Herald, Canada

►November 5, 2006 - Health officials remain focused on bird flu threat - Disease: It is killing one person every four days, double the rate of last year. - Anchorage Daily News

►November 5, 2006 - Essential Vaccinations for Children - Healthline

►November 5, 2006 - Sick of waiting? In-store clinics a hit with patients - They can save time and money, but pediatricians say walk-in clinics just aren't right for children - The Salt Lake Tribune

►November 5, 2006 - Unfolding the prion mystery (book review) - The Family That Couldn't Sleep: A Medical Mystery, by D.T. Max. Random House - Newsday

►November 5, 2006 - Students on the Spectrum (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

►November 5, 2006 - ‘Just a Normal Girl’ - (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

* ►November 5, 2006 - Drug company chiefs dig deep to get a result they like in the Senate - The Independent, UK - "Executives at the UK's three biggest pharmaceuticals companies have been funnelling thousands of dollars from their personal fortunes to help the re-election campaigns of industry-friendly politicians in the US."

* ►November 5, 2006 - Allow 'active euthanasia' for disabled babies, doctors urge - The Independent, UK - "The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology has put forward the option of permitting mercy killings of the sickest infants to a review of medical ethics. It says 'active euthanasia' should be considered for the overall benefit of families who would otherwise suffer years of emotional and financial suffering."

* ►November 5, 2006 - Brown outlines his vision for an 'X Factor' Britain - The Guardian, UK - "On Tuesday, Brown will be flanked by a Vatican envoy representing Pope Benedict XVI and by leaders of all Britain's religious communities when he inaugurates a bond scheme to fund the mass inoculation of children in the poorest countries."

* ►November 5, 2006 - FDA suspends human testing of anthrax vaccine - Xinhuanet via China View - "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently halted biotechnology firm VaxGen's plans to begin human testing of an anthrax vaccine, citing concerns about the vaccine's reliability."

►November 5, 2006 - Influenza vaccination programme to start tomorrow - www.info.gov.hk

►November 5, 2006 - Pupils with autism need support that suits them - Sunday Herald, UK

►November 5, 2006 - Early-stage immune system control of HIV may depend on inherited factors - The Hindu

* ►November 5, 2006 - Misinformation on polio campaign - The Hindu - "Leaflets asking people not to administer polio drops to their children as the ingestion 'can lead to infertility or affect masculinity' are in circulation in certain Muslim localities here."

* ►November 5, 2006 - Mosquitoes infect humans and vice versa: ‘Too many antibiotics, govt negligence spreading Dengue’ - Daily Times, Pakistan - "The Network reported that excessive and irrational use of antibiotics and antiviral medicines has increased resistance in viruses and bacteria and diseases like dengue became epidemics as a result."

* ►November 4, 2006 - Doctors failing to report dengue fever face fines - Taipei Times

* ►November 4, 2006 - VaxGen anthrax vaccine set back - Brisbane firm's stock loses more than half its value on news that government contract could be canceled - Contra Costa Times

* ►November 4, 2006 - VaxGen Receives Cure Notice on Anthrax Contract - press release - VaxGen, Inc. via PRNewswire-FirstCall via Yahoo! - "The HHS letter to VaxGen, dated and received November 3, 2006, states that 'unless this condition is cured within 10 days after receipt of this notice, the government may terminate for default under the terms and conditions' of the anthrax contract. VaxGen is working to prepare a written response to HHS by November 13, 2006."

* ►November 4, 2006 - Protecting Your Family: Staying Flu Free - Flu shots aren't the only ways to help protect against the flu. (includes video) - www.wvnstv.com

►November 4, 2006 - Report cites need for cash if flu pandemic hits - The State - "A pandemic flu would cause at least 1.2 million South Carolinians to fall ill with a novel strain of influenza, forcing an estimated 17,000 into hospitals and killing between 2,000 and 5,000 people."

►November 4, 2006 - Voting, vaccines don’t mix, GOP says - Daily News

* ►November 4, 2006 - Season Near, Flu Fighter Is Confident - interview (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times - "David M. Mott, the chief executive of MedImmune, returned recently from a week on the road with his sales staff. Top on everyone’s mind is the flu season."

►November 4, 2006 - Health chief, area officials talk bird flu - Bradenton Herald

►November 4, 2006 - Gettysburg Hospital postpones flu-shot clinics - The Evening Sun

►November 4, 2006 - Flu shots important part of prevention - Thousands of shots left to use by Dec. 1 - Greater Milwaukee Today

►November 4, 2006 - Preparing for a flu shoot-out - Health caregivers get ready to give 3,000 Utahns vaccine - St. George Daily Spectrum

►November 4, 2006 - Mock avian flu run scary - Edmonton Sun

►November 4, 2006 - Residents get help fending off the flu - Florida Today

* ►November 4, 2006 - Meningitis shot may carry tiny risk for Guillain-Barre syndrome; CDC still recommends vaccine - AP via North County Times

* ►November 4, 2006 - Mostly women getting mumps - Charlottesville Daily Progress - "Also, a member of the UVa staff who works at Student Health contracted mumps, Turner said, bringing the total at the university to 31. All of those infected had been vaccinated. The vaccine, however, is not 100 percent effective. At this point, most local sufferers have fully recovered and are no longer contagious."

* ►November 4, 2006 - Mylac indelible ink to mark polio vaccine babies - Star of Mysore - "The indelible ink manufactured by Mysore Lac and Paint (Mylac) factory here and used for preventing malpractice during elections, is going to be used to mark the children given the polio vaccine in future."

►November 4, 2006 - Dr. Richard Mulvaney gave 1st polio vaccine - obituary - Washington Post via Indianapolis Star

►November 4, 2006 - 49 polio cases reported in one week - Chennai Online

►November 4, 2006 - Leaflets spreading misinformation about polio drops in Godhra - Zee News

►November 4, 2006 - Vaccinate child and save from polio’ - Newindpress

►November 4, 2006 - Lamar reports virus case - Hattiesburg American

►November 4, 2006 - UNICEF launches online Swahili game to boost HIV prevention in east Africa - TREND Information

►November 4, 2006 - Chronology-Libya HIV trial of Bulgarian medics - Reuters AlertNet

►November 4, 2006 - Medical experts cheer Somers - The Desert Sun - "Somers, who turned 60 last month, has been hyping her book, 'Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones,' which this week hit No. 1 on the New York Times Hardcover Advice best-seller list. But critics, especially in the pharmaceutical-supported medical community, have criticized her claim that, 'The second half of your life can be better than your first half.'"

►November 4, 2006 - More than a million suffer chronic fatigue - Reuters, UK

* ►November 4, 2006 - Volume buying means cost and price of flu shots vary - Government, big chains can get vaccine cheaper - The Tennessean - "The costs of flu shots can vary wildly around the state — $10 at Metro Public Health Department, $25 at rural county health departments, $30 at Kroger pharmacies and at Minute Clinics. Shewmake said she paid a $10 co-pay at her doctor's office and her insurance company was charged $60 more."

* ►November 4, 2006 - Don't let flu floor you this winter - Kelowna Daily Courier - "Rather than administering a virus to an already compromised immune system, Rose likes to focus on strengthening the immune system. He was critical of reports stating vaccines are as much as 90 per cent effective in staving off flu viruses. “Some reports show that they are only 60 per cent effective,” he said. Rose prefers implementing a three-step approach that begins with an overall, back-to-basics health plan using proper diet to maintain a healthy immune system. Second, he recommends taking a high-quality multivitamin and mineral supplement along with vitamins A and E, zinc, selenium and carotenes on a continual basis. He’s also a proponent of adding vitamin C — about 2,000 milligrams — to one’s daily regimen."

* ►November 4, 2006 - Go abroad to get TB vaccinations - News Shopper, UK

* ►November 4, 2006 - Factors responsible for chronic illhealth-disease. - Tags: Do you know the Factors responsible for chronic Ill Health - Disease? The following are the few factors responsible for chronic illnesses, if they are not treated properly at the right time. - www.drramasubbaiah.sulekha.com - "Toxins are poisonous residual accumulated in our body continuously on the usage of fast foods and bad foods. Toxins from a past illness (rheumatic fever, malaria, measles, diptheria or typhoid, inoculations, vaccinations etc.) can lie in the system and eventually over burden the liver. Because the liver has been unable to cope with them, begin to seep through the tissues attacking an organ."

►November 4, 2006 - Building a Better Flu Trap - Universal vaccine may be in works - Monterey County Herald

►November 4, 2006 - L'Chaim: Wine compound lengthens mouse lives - Science News

►November 4, 2006 - From the October 31, 1936, issue - Science News

►November 4, 2006 - Effect of breast feeding on intelligence in children: prospective study, sibling pairs analysis, and meta-analysis (full text) - journal article (BMJ)

►November 4, 2006 - Health Highlights: - Houston Ends Flu Shot Progam for Early Voters - Factors for a 'Healthy Community' Identified - WHO Calls Chinese Bird-Flu Situation 'Confusing' - Fish and Seafood Species Could Collapse by 2048: Report - Sharon Moved to Intensive Care - U.S. Med Schools Urge Students to Resist Drug Company Pressure - Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay

* ►November 3, 2006 - Netherlands Invest Euro 18.4 Million to Develop Better Vaccines to Fight Raging TB Pandemic - PRNewswire via RT Magazine

* ►November 3, 2006 - Doctor slams lack of vaccines for healthy children - Fort McMurray Today - “Our product, Influvac, is licensed for pediatric use all over the world, including European Union countries and Australia,” he added. The problem is that Health Canada, which does safety checks on vaccines when drug companies apply for a licence to distribute them, won’t let them supply to children, he said."

* ►November 3, 2006 - Citizen Press Revolution: West Nile Virus & Avian Flu News Scares are Bunk and Misleading - Citizen Press Revolution via Progressive U

* ►November 3, 2006 - Science 'vital to UK's future' - Yahoo! - "It is necessary to stand up for science in the face of public distrust brought about by scare stories on issues like the BSE crisis and the scare over the MMR vaccine, Blair insisted. "BSE; GM foods; MMR; stem-cell - the variable experiences have given us a template of how to conduct a rational conversation about science," he said."

* ►November 3, 2006 - Why do I have an extreme fear of needles? - Needling fear! - The Register, UK - "Belonephobia is the extreme fear of needles. If you have this, you fear getting medications via injections, vaccinations, even testing your blood. You are probably terrified of the prospect of having surgery performed on you."

* ►November 3, 2006 - No signs of ‘Fujian-like’ strain of bird flu... so far - Viet Nam News

* ►November 3, 2006 - Ground Zero's 'Angel' Nun Dies - Autopsy Will Eye 9/11 Dust - New York Post

►November 3, 2006 - Whooping cough spreads at hospital - The Boston Globe

►November 3, 2006 - Early-stage immune system control of HIV may depend on inherited factors - Biology News

►November 3, 2006 - Reduced Plasma Apelin Levels in Patients with Autistic Spectrum Disorder - journal article (Archives of Medical Research)

►November 3, 2006 - Notice: Request for Information (RFI): Proposed Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or Conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS); Comment Period Extension; Notice - DHHS National Institutes of Health via www.pharmcast.com

►November 3, 2006 - Scientists Identify A Septic Shock Susceptibility Gene - In the November 15th issue of Genes & Development, Dr. Robert Schneider and colleagues at NYU School of Medicine report that the AUF1 gene underlies susceptibility to septic shock. - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory via ScienceDaily

►November 3, 2006 - Health Highlights: - WHO Calls Chinese Bird-Flu Situation 'Confusing' - Fish and Seafood Species Could Collapse by 2048: Report - Sharon Moved to Intensive Care - U.S. Med Schools Urge Students to Resist Drug Company Pressure - New Medicaid Rules Tougher on Babies of Illegal Immigrants - Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay

* ►November 3, 2006 - Suit: Teen with autism was abused in school - Advocates say such incidents are too frequent due to lack of teacher training about disability - Indianapolis Star

* ►November 3, 2006 - Stalled autism bill shows funding rift - Advocates want money earmarked, not put in general pot for research - Houston Chronicle - "Many parents and some advocacy groups blame vaccines for the surging numbers, undeterred by a 2004 Institute of Medicine report that found no association between autism and the mercury compound formerly found in vaccines. (Nevertheless, mercury-based preservatives have been phased out of most, but not all, vaccines.) The first of 5,000 or so lawsuits on the issue is expected to go to trial next summer."

►November 3, 2006 - Shadows help families with autistic children - Montreal Gazette

►November 3, 2006 - New play aims for balanced view of autism - Mixed Blood Theatre peeks into the life of a young man with autism in its latest production, "Vestibular Sense." The play raises questions about what autism is and whether it's a deficit or an attribute for someone who has it. - Minnesota Public Radio

►November 3, 2006 - Autism Summit to present latest research and treatment options - UT Southwestern Medical Center will host the North Texas Autism Summit, featuring presentations by national and local experts in autism research and treatment on Saturday, Nov. 11. - www.spiritindia.com

►November 3, 2006 - NHA embarks on major immunisation drive for children - Peninsula On-line

►November 3, 2006 - Report: Flu pandemic would kill 2,000 to 5,000 South Carolinians - The State

►November 3, 2006 - Study says new H5N1 strain pervades southern China - CIDRAP News

►November 3, 2006 - Health Center: Flu shots now available for high-risk residents - Chillicothe Constitution Tribune

* ►November 3, 2006 - Flu-vaccine supply uneven so far - Expected abundance has been slow to reach some doctors. - Philadelphia Inquirer - "Sanofi Pasteur expects to ship all of its vaccine by the end of November, spokeswoman Patty Tomsky said. GlaxoSmithKline has shipped about 65 percent of its vaccine, spokeswoman Jennifer Armstrong said. It expects to ship almost all of its 25 million doses by the end of the month. It sells primarily to distributors for the physician market. MedImmune Inc., which produces FluMist, an inhaled vaccine that is approved only for healthy people ages 5 to 49, said it had produced three million doses and did not have an order backlog."

* ►November 3, 2006 - City to redistribute flu shots that were being given at polls - Philanthropic group that backed the 'Vote and Vax' program likely won't do it again - Houston Chronicle

►November 3, 2006 - Hundreds of area residents receive free flu vaccinations - The program was part of a statewide health exercise - Salem Statesman Journal

►November 3, 2006 - Cases of flu already reported in state, ample vaccine expected - Arkansas News

►November 3, 2006 - Campus flu shot delivery delayed for two weeks - Health officials hope 5,000 vaccines arrive within weeks - Web Devil

►November 3, 2006 - Public health shipment of flu vaccines delayed - The Daily Advertiser

►November 3, 2006 - Gannett Prepares Flu Inoculation - The Cornell Daily Sun

►November 3, 2006 - Knox Health Department out of flu shots - www.wbir.com

►November 3, 2006 - Flu pandemic: It's only a test! - North Coast agencies participate in preparedness drill - Daily Astorian

* ►November 3, 2006 - Jabs for 63,000 children in first phase of immunisation drive - Gulf Times

* ►November 3, 2006 - Richard Mulvaney; Doctor Gave First Polio Vaccinations - obituary (requires registration) - Washington Post

►November 3, 2006 - Polio immunisation in trouble in Gujarat - www.ndtv.com

►November 3, 2006 - Kenya: Health Crew to launch anti-polio drives - SomaliNet

►November 3, 2006 - Viral Clearance of HCV May Protect Against Re-infection - MedPage Today

►November 3, 2006 - Outside the Circle - Near-extinct diseases reemerge on college campuses - Case Western Reserve University Observer

►November 3, 2006 - Meningitis vaccine list updated; shortage ends - AP via Deseret News

►November 3, 2006 - Heather Roy's Diary Meningitis Vaccine - ACT New Zealand via www.scoop.co.nz

►November 3, 2006 - Bacterial meningitis hits Mary Washington student - The Free Lance-Star

►November 3, 2006 - Vertex May Beat Roche, Merck in Developing Drug for Hepatitis C - Bloomberg

►November 3, 2006 - Rodman & Renshaw Healthcare Conference 2006 Presenter Profiles - Business Wire

►November 3, 2006 - Delay in CARE Act Reauthorization 'Playing Havoc' With HIV/AIDS Funding, Could Affect Care in Maryland, Editorial Says - www.kaisernetwork.org

►November 3, 2006 - Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report Highlights Recently Released Journal Articles on HIV/AIDS - www.kaisernetwork.org

►November 3, 2006 - Jewelry sharing can cause spread of Hepatitis - Purdue Exponent

►November 3, 2006 - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The CDC Says It's a Big Problem - U.S. News & World Report - "On Monday, the National Institutes of Health awarded grants to seven researchers studying the relationship between CFS and the immune and neurological systems."

►November 3, 2006 - Ancient Human Virus Resurrected - The Ledger

►November 3, 2006 - Doctors focus on diagnosing developmental disorders - In years gone by youngsters who fell behind in school were officially classified as "slow learners." A less sensitive term often applied in Belize was "duncey." But doctors and educators worldwide have learned that the roots of childhood learning problems go much deeper than simple labels. News Five's Kendra Griffith reports.-  http://new.channel5belize.com

►November 3, 2006 - Jury gets case alleging hepatitis C billing fraud by doctor - Houston Chronicle

►November 3, 2006 - Deadly virus infects Lake Erie fish - Columbus Dispatch

►November 3, 2006 - Congress members ask GAO to study progress in biodetection - Federal Times

►November 3, 2006 - Many fear FBI's anthrax case is cold - Its investigation into the deadly 2001 attacks seems to be making no progress, but the agency urges patience. (requires registration or subscription) - Los Angeles Times

►November 2, 2006 - State hopes to keep Mad Deer Disease out - Checkpoint: Hunters must remove animals' spines and brains before returning to California. - Press-Enterprise

►November 2, 2006 - Flu vaccine supply holding up - Henry Daily Herald

►November 2, 2006 - New vaccine prevents cervical cancer caused by HPV - Black Hills Pioneer

►November 2, 2006 - Minister calls for more education on autism - BuaNews Online, South Africa

►November 2, 2006 - Notice: Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, Including the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (Edition 4); Availability - Food and Drug Administration, HHS via www.pharmcast.com

►November 2, 2006 - Gladstone Institutes and Merck & Co., Inc. Announce Major Research Collaboration and Exclusive License Agreement in Field of Apolipoprotein (Apo) E - Research Focuses on Treatment and Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease by Altering ApoE4-induced Neuronal Dysfunction - Gladstone Institutes and Merck

►November 2, 2006 - AstraZeneca Helps More People Afford Its Medicines - AstraZeneca

►November 2, 2006 - Health Highlights: - Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay via www.lifeclinic.com

* ►November 1, 2006 - Thimerosal induces TH2 responses via influencing cytokine secretion by human dendritic cells (pdf) - journal article (Journal of Leukocyte Biology)

* ►November 1, 2006 - GlaxoSmithKline agrees to $63.8 million settlement in Paxil lawsuit - AP via The Kansas City Star

* ►November 1, 2006 - Drug discovery in jeopardy (full text) - journal article (Journal of Clinical Investigation)

►November 1, 2006 - "Cyber" Letters 2006 - FDA/CDER

►November 1, 2006 - Drug toxicity detection studied - UPI

►November 1, 2006 - How fish oils helped violent schoolchildren keep their cool - Daily Mail, UK

►November 1, 2006 - Schering CEO: Drug M&A prices "breath-taking" - Schering-Plough Corp. Chief Executive Officer Fred Hassan said Wednesday that the prices being fetched in the recent wave of big pharmaceutical takeover bids are "breath-taking," and are reflective of how difficult it is for large companies to acquire quality drug candidates. - MaketWatch

►November 1, 2006 - Giving Your Child the Best Nutrition - journal article (American Family Physician)

►November 1, 2006 - Notice: Marketed Unapproved Drugs; Public Workshop - Food and Drug Administration, HHS via www.pharmcast.com

►November 1, 2006 - Rotary Gives Additional $19 Million to Conquer Polio In The Remaining Strongholds - press release - Rotary International via U.S. Newswire

* ►November 2006 - Compliance With the Recommendations for 2 Doses of Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine in Children Less Than 9 Years of Age Receiving Influenza Vaccine for the First Time: A Vaccine Safety Datalink Study - journal article (Pediatrics) - "Compliance with the 2 dose recommendations varied by age group and influenza season. Among children 6 to 23 months of age, the proportion of first-vaccinated children who received a second vaccination was 44% in 2001–2002, 54% in 2002–2003, and 29% in 2003–2004. Among children 2 to 8 years of age, the corresponding proportions were 15%, 24%, and 12%, respectively. In all seasons, compliance with the second vaccination was highest in children first vaccinated by mid-November."

* ►November 2006 - Association Between Health Care Providers' Influence on Parents Who Have Concerns About Vaccine Safety and Vaccination Coverage - journal article (Pediatrics) - "Among children whose parents believed that vaccines were not safe, those whose parents' decision to vaccinate was influenced by a health care provider had an estimated vaccination coverage rate that was significantly higher than the estimated coverage rate among children whose parents' decision was not influenced by a health care provider (74.4% vs 50.3%; estimated difference: 24.1%)."

* ►November 2006 - Comparison of the Immunogenicity and Reactogenicity of a Prophylactic Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (Types 6, 11, 16, and 18) L1 Virus-Like Particle Vaccine in Male and Female Adolescents and Young Adult Women - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►November 2006 - Longer Needle Length Reduces Frequency and Severity of Local Vaccine Reactions - journal article (American Academy of Pediatrics)

* ►November 2006 - Issues in the design and implementation of vaccine trials in less developed countries - journal article (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)

* ►November 2006 - Direct Medical Cost of Influenza-Related Hospitalizations in Children - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►November 2006 - Should Our Well-Child Care System Be Redesigned? A National Survey of Pediatricians - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►November 2006 - Compliance With American Academy of Pediatrics and American Public Health Association Illness Exclusion Guidelines for Child Care Centers in Maryland: Who Follows Them and When? - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►November 2006 - Medication Errors Related to Computerized Order Entry for Children - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►November 2006 - Mental Health Screening in Pediatric Practice: Factors Related to Positive Screens and the Contribution of Parental/Personal Concern - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►November 2006 - The National Children's Study: A 21-Year Prospective Study of 100 000 American Children - journal article (Pediatrics) - "Recruitment is scheduled to begin in 2007 at 7 Vanguard Sites and will extend to 105 sites across the United States. The National Children's Study will generate multiple satellite studies that explore methodologic issues, etiologic questions, and potential interventions. It will provide training for the next generation of researchers and practitioners in environmental pediatrics and will link to planned and ongoing prospective birth cohort studies in other nations."

►November 2006 - Systemic Hyalinosis: A Distinctive Early Childhood–Onset Disorder Characterized by Mutations in the Anthrax Toxin Receptor 2 Gene (ANTRX2) - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - Predicting Outcomes of Neonates Diagnosed With Hypoxemic-Ischemic Encephalopathy - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - Atopic Disposition, Wheezing, and Subsequent Respiratory Syncytial Virus Hospitalization in Danish Children Younger Than 18 Months: A Nested Case-Control Study - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - A Refined Symptom-Based Approach to Diagnose Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Children - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis in Children: Masquerader of Common Respiratory Diseases - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - Innovative lead discovery strategies for tropical diseases - journal article (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)

►November 2006 - Reduction of crying episodes owing to infantile colic: a randomized controlled study on the efficacy of a new infant formula - journal article (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

►November 2006 - Self-regulation of Slow Cortical Potentials: A New Treatment for Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - The Clinical Spectrum of Developmental Language Impairment in School-Aged Children: Language, Cognitive, and Motor Findings - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - Pathways of pleasure and pain: How well do you know dopamine? - journal article (Current Psychiatry)

►November 2006 - Asthma Guideline Use by Pediatricians in Private Practices and Asthma Morbidity - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - Diabetes Mellitus Screening in Pediatric Primary Care - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - Definition and Classification of Negative Motor Signs in Childhood - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - A Systematic Review for the Effects of Television Viewing by Infants and Preschoolers - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - A cost-effectiveness approach to the qualification and acceptance of biomarkers (opinion) - journal article (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)

►November 2006 - News Analysis: Bioweapons Treaty Progress Predicted - Arms Control Association

►November 2006 - Environmental Health Perspectives Table of Contents (full text) - Environmental Health Perspectives

►November 2006 - Racial/Ethnic Differences in Breastfeeding Initiation and Continuation in the United Kingdom and Comparison With Findings in the United States - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - Breastfeeding, Sensitivity, and Attachment - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - Breastfeeding and Verbal Ability of 3-Year-Olds in a Multicity Sample - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - Vitamin D Status in Children and Young Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Disease - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - Polyphenol-enriched oolong tea increases fecal lipid excretion - journal article (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

* ►October 31, 2006 - AMA asks for restrictions on drug ads - Newsday - "Brian R. Malone, director of pharmacy at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, said a number of physicians have told him they almost "feel obligated" to give the patient the prescription he or she wants after seeing it on TV, lest they lose that patient. "It's the physician who should be in charge of a patient's care," he said."

* ►October 31, 2006 - A U.S. Congress switch seen stinging drug makers - Reuters via ABC News

* ►October 31, 2006 - The Ethics of Medical Research on Children (includes audio) - NPR - "Parents of children with fatal diseases must decide whether to enroll them in experimental clinical trials."

►October 31, 2006 - Study: Brand-name drugs fuel cost increase - UPI

►October 31, 2006 - Avanir drug OK'd for emotional disorder - UPI

►October 30, 2006 - Swallowing Eastern Europe's Drugmakers - Soaring demand for generics and competitive pressures are making the region a hotbed for Big Pharma deals - BusinessWeek

►October 26, 2006 - Screening for Maternal Depression: An Opportunity for Providers of Pediatric Healthcare (requires registration) - Medscape

►October 26, 2006 - Meningoencephalitis in a Child Complicated by Myocarditis, Quadriparesis and Respiratory Failure (requires registration) (full text) - The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal via Medscape

►October 26, 2006 - Innovative Pediatric Nursing Role: Public Health Nurses in Child Welfare (requires registration) (full text) - Pediatric Nursing via Medscape

►October 25, 2006 - Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study Of The Orbitofrontal Cortex In Autism (requires registration) (full text) - Journal of Child Neurology via Medscape

►October 25, 2006 - Prebiotics Reduce the Risk of Atopic Dermatitis (requires registration) - Reuters Health via Medscape

►October 24, 2006 - The Family Empowerment Network: A Service Model to Address the Needs of Children and Families Affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (requires registration) (full text) - Pediatric Nursing via Medscape

►October 24, 2006 - Journal Scan (requires registration) (full text) - Nurses via Medscape

* ►October 23, 2006 - SIDS May Have Previously Unsuspected Pathogenesis (requires registration) - American Journal of Clinical Pathology via Medscape Medical News

►October 23, 2006 - Blueprint for Change: Will New Hospitals Be Safer Hospitals? (requires registration) (includes viedo) - Medscape General Medicine

* ►October 20, 2006 - Connectivity Patterns in Brain Altered in Autism (requires registration) - Reuters Health via Medscape

* ►October 20, 2006 - Highlights From MMWR: HPV Prevention Measures for Adolescents and More (requires registration) - Medscape Medical News

►October 20, 2006 - Rhinovirus Linked to Lower Respiratory Symptoms in Infants (requires registration) - Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology Reuters Health via Medscape

►October 20, 2006 - The Patient Safety Movement Finally Is Saving Lives and Raising Hopes (requires registration) (includes video) - Medscape General Medicine

►October 20, 2006 - Acupuncture for the Treatment of Morning Sickness - U.S. Pharmacist

* ►October 17, 2006 - Title: Live genetically attenuated malaria vaccine (patent) - Seattle Biomedical Research Institute (Seattle, WA) Ruprecht-Karls-Universitat Heidelberg (Heidelberg, DE) via www.pharmcast.com

* ►October 17, 2006 - Title: Microfluidized oil-in-water emulsions and vaccine compositions (patent) - Pfizer Inc. (New York, NY) via www.pharmcast.com

►October 17, 2006 - Title: Compositions and methods for treatment of staphylococcal infection while suppressing formation of antibiotic-resistant strains (patent) - Nutrition 21, Inc. (Purchase, NY) via www.pharmcast.com

►October 17, 2006 - Title: Chemokine alpha-2 antibodies (patent) - Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Rockville, MD) via www.pharmcast.com

►October 17, 2006 - Title: Therapeutic and diagnostic methods for ulcerative colitis and associated disorders (patent) - University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey (New Brunswick, NJ) via www.pharmcast.com

►October 17, 2006 - Title: Detection of antidepressant induced mania (patent) - Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Toronto, CA) via www.pharmcast.com

►October 17, 2006 - Title: Formulations to increase in vivo survival of probiotic bacteria and extend their shelf-life (patent) - Porubcan; Randolph Stanley (Victoria, MN) via www.pharmcast.com

►October 2006 - Predicting the Magnitude of Drug Interactions: The Final Frontier - Pharmacy Times

►October 2006 - Eradication of H. influenzae in AECB: A pooled analysis of moxifloxacin phase III trials compared with macrolide agents - journal article (Respiratory Medicine)

►October 2006 - Predicting the Magnitude of Drug Interactions: The Final Frontier - Pharmacy Times

►October 2006 - Blockbuster Patent Expirations Bring a Shift in Business Models - Pharmacy Times

►October 2006 - E-pedigrees Need Uniformity to Work Effectively - Pharmacy Times - "The rapidly approaching December 1, 2006, deadline for implementation of FDA rules to deter drug counterfeiting has the entire pharmaceutical industry grappling with how best to respond to the requirements."